I am sure this was intended as a joke, but it is revealing. Recall that Harry Truman had a sign on his desk saying “The buck stops here.” Pope Francis says Just Shut the F___ Up! He says this to abuse victims, women, advocates of contraceptives, public health officials who want to give out condoms in AIDS epidemics, etc. In the case of powerless Nigerian priests, he even threatened to fire them – despite a world-wide shortage of priests.

He is a despot in avuncular clothing. While he attacks Donald Trump, he has much in common with him. The Pope’s sign also says: “to become the best of yourself, you have to concentrate on your own potential and not on your limits, therefore: Stop complaining, and act to make your life better.” This is like Trump and the Republicans saying don’t ask for subsidized health care, or food stamps, or any anti-poverty measures. God helps those who help themselves – a popular slogan that many mistake for Scripture. A responsible leader wants to be informed of problems. Pope Francis forbids it, and surrounds himself with yes-men.